Titans face difficult task at Class 2A state finals

Friday

Feb 22, 2013 at 12:39 AMFeb 22, 2013 at 12:42 AM

A look at the Class 2A girls' basketball state finals

Erich Murphy

Three of the top five ranked teams in Class 2A have made it to Redbird Arena at Illinois State University. Among the group is top-ranked St. Thomas More of Champaign. El Paso-Gridley, the fifth-ranked team in The Associated Press’ final poll, will play the role of David in the 8 p.m. semifinal game against Goliath St. Thomas More of Champaign, the top-ranked team, tonight. No. 4 Nashville will take on Cinderella Walther Lutheran in the first semifinal game, which tips off at 6:30 p.m. The following is a look at the final four teams in Class 2A.EPG Titans (29-1) “We love being in that underdog spot,” EPG senior co-captain Jenna Souhrada said Thursday. “We can come out and play our game and not worry about anything else. That’s the way we like to do it.” The Titans will come into the contest sporting a 29-1 mark. Their lone loss was to Rochester at the State Farm Classic in December. EPG has reeled off 17 consecutive wins since. EPG is not a tall team but it can beat a tall team. The Titans handled Byron, a team boasting two 6-footers, Monday at the Monmouth Supersectional. Next up is a taller team in St. Thomas More. “We’re way undersized, but we believe in what we’re doing and have to be physical, especially down low,” EPG head coach Kyle Bobbitt said Thursday. “We’re going to give it everything we have. It’s a very special time for our communities and our school district. We come in against the No. 1 team so we are the underdog. We have nothing to lose.” The Titans are led on the floor by juniors Rebekah Ehresman and Codee Schlipf. Ehresman, who was named to the AP Class 2A second team this week, leads EPG in scoring with a 16.5 points per game average, in rebounding with 170 and in assists with 133. Schlipf is second in scoring at 11.5 ppg. and is second in rebounding at 158. It is the senior leadership that has been a major factor (see story at right) for the Titans. Three — Jenna Souhrada, Mattie Buchanan and Chelsea Kessinger — start while Darian DeVary is one of the first players of the bench for a team that goes 10 deep. “We have to know who we are and what got us here,” Bobbitt said. “We have to play smart, play aggressive and communicate. We have to be able to get up and down the floor and not allow them to get transition points.”St. Thomas More Sabers (31-2) The Sabers began their drive last year when Lexi Wallen sank two free throws with no time on the clock to forge a tie with Prairie Central in the sectional final. STM defeated the Hawks in overtime before falling to eventual state champ Quincy Notre Dame in the supersectional. St. Thomas More has been rolling ever since.Head coach Chris Mennig sees tonight’s matchup as interesting. “I think there are some similarities, such as their point guard and our point guard,” Mennig said Thursday. “They are engines to (their) teams. They have 3-spot kid who can post up or go out and shoot the 3, just like we do in the (Lexi) Wallen girl.” A huge difference is in size. Wallen is listed at 5-11 and freshman Tori McCoy stands 6-4. There are four players on the roster listed at 5-10 or taller. The guard to counter Ehresman Mennig spoke of for his team is first-team all-stater Randa Harshbarger, who is averaging 12.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and nearly 4.3 assists per game. Wallen, an honorable mention all-state player averaging15.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, is the forward to matchup with Schlipf. Mennig then has McCoy (15 ppg., 10.5 rpg.), another first-team all-stater, in the middle and a bunch of role players. “I think it will come down to the other few kids,” Mennig said. “It will be a fun test.” The Sabers won the State Farm Classic after getting past Annawan (a final four team in Class 1A) in overtime in the semifinal and then defeating Central Catholic in the final. St. Thomas More’s two losses have been to 3A Champaign Centennial in November and to Class 4A No. 1 Whitney Young in January. Only Watseka has managed to stay within 30 points of the Sabers since. “We’ve been able to get things going,” Mennig said. Of note, Courtney Wax is a 5-10 junior who comes off the bench for the Sabers. She is the daughter of former Illinois standout receiver Shawn Wax.Nashville Hornettes (31-2) Coming out of the south, Nashville is another tall team with five players listed at 5-10 or taller. Nashville is also the largest of the four schools in the finals. Balance is a key for the Hornettes who have state finishes of third (twice) and fourth in the last five years. Four players average between 9 and 12.9 points per game. Shaye Harre is a 5-10 senior who was named to the AP’s second team all-state squad. She is averaging 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Younger sister Jordi Harre is a 5-6 sophomore averaging 11.2 points. She was an honorable mention all-state selection. Shawn Rennegarbe, whose family has a celebrated history in Illinois high school basketball, is a 5-11 guard averaging 9 points, 4.7 rebounds and leads in assists with 99. Freshman Erica Brown is a 6-footer averaging 9.2 points and 5.5 rebounds.Walther Lutheran Broncos (26-6) The Broncos come in with the worst record of the four and were not mentioned in the rankings. In fact, their regional, sectional and supersectional did not have a team ranked or receiving votes. Five of Walther Lutheran’s six losses came to bigger schools, including two setbacks to Class 3A power Montini. Defense has been a staple. The Broncos held three of their postseason opponents to under 30 points. Fifteen opponents have been held to less than 40. There is some size as eight players are listed between 5-7 and 5-11. The leader is 5-9 senior Isimeme Edeko, who is averaging 14.7 points and 11.6 rebounds. Dana Turner is scoring 11 points per game.